According to the Independent, “It took Facebook almost six years to reach 300 million active monthly users, a milestone that Google+ has sailed past in under 18 months.”

Having presence on Google+ is obviously important, but how are small-to-medium sized businesses using it? Read on to discover how using Google+ heated up BakeSpace, Inc.‘s business and engagement.

Success doesn’t lie: More than 290,000 Google+ users have added BakeSpace, Inc.’s Google+ Business page to their Circles. “We use the page to push out our content, raise awareness about our events (conferences) and host weekly live hangouts,” says Babette Pepaj, founder and CEO of BakeSpace, Inc., an online network for swapping recipes and building friendships.

The small business is active on several social media platforms, but has found unique benefits to being on Google+. “For example, the content we share on Google+ can improve our brand’s performance on relevant keyword searches. This occurs because our G+ posts are highlighted in Google results for people we connect with on the social network,” says Pepaj.

But that’s not all. Pepaj has experienced first-hand how Google+ handles posts that get a lot of engagement from followers on Google+. “If someone comments on our post, that post goes back to the top of our feed. You don’t find this feature on platforms like Facebook or Twitter; it’s unique to G+,” says Pepaj.

BakeSpace has also benefited from the ability to connect with their audience. In fact, Pepaj says that the company regularly hosts Google Hangouts. “We love Google Hangouts! The technology allows us to have a vibrant conversation with guests from around the world while streaming the video live for all to see,” says Pepaj. “The ease of production (especially archiving the video online) makes it possible for us to produce three shows a week, and we’re getting ready to launch a fourth.”

The BakeSpace Google Hangouts are live video chats and classes that can be watched on YouTube as they are happening or watched later (also on YouTube). A recent Hangout tackled how to build an engaged audience on Google+ while others are more food-focused how-tos like cupcake decorating tips. Like a Tweetchat, their hangouts usually last an hour, but they can run any length of time.

The ease of use and format of Google Hangouts is a huge timesaver for Pepaj. “We tried previously to produce videos for YouTube without using the G+ Hangout platform and found the process of transferring, formatting and uploading video to be a major hassle,” says Pepaj. “Thanks to Hangouts, we now login, click broadcast and our show is posted to YouTube a few minutes after the episode wraps up. This means we can post a link and share it with our guests and their community while it’s still fresh.”

Pepaj’s best advice? “Understand the value of multimedia,” she says. That means text isn’t enough – your Google+ stream should be visually engaging. “Photos will always garner more engagement, and giving content a ‘plus-one’ is akin to giving it a virtual high five,” says Pepaj.

Sounds like a recipe for Google+ success to us! How are you using Google+ for your biz?

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